Prime Video is developing a new live-action crime series based on SEGA’s hit video game Yakuza like a dragonand it will be titled Like a Dragon: Yakuza.
The series is set in two time periods, 1995 and 2005, “and follows the life, childhood friends, and repercussions of the decisions of a fearsome, peerless Yakuza warrior with a strong sense of justice, duty, and humanity.”
It is explained that the series “Shows modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters, like the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, that past games have not been able to explore.”
The game “depicts the lives of ferocious but passionate gangsters and people living in a huge entertainment district, Kamurochō, a fictional neighborhood modeled after the violent Kabukichō of the Shinjuku neighborhood.”
The six-part series will be directed by Take Masaharu (100 yen love) AND Takimoto Kengo (Master Kamen) and from scripts written by Sean Crouch AND Nakamura Yugowith a Japanese screenplay by Yoshida Yasuhiro AND Yamada Kana.
Take said in a statement: “I poured my heart, soul and experience I have accumulated over 35 years into Like a Dragon: Yakuza.”
James Farrell, head of international originals at Amazon MGM Studios, added: “The unbridled attraction to Japanese content from Japan and other parts of the world has grown exponentially.
“While Prime Video Japan continues to offer a variety of content across genres, adapting an internationally popular game franchise that has such deep resonance and layered characters presents a unique appeal and makes for an extremely compelling watch.”
Yokoyama Masayoshi, head of Ryugagotoku Studio and executive producer, said: “From the day I put pen to paper on the original script of ‘Yakuza,’ I have never thought of revisiting my work on the series.
“It’s because I understand all too well the challenges and difficulties that come with remaking a finished title. However, if I were ever sent to the past due to some sort of cosmic prank, this is the experience I would want to create.
“If I had to go through the wringer anyway, I would want to make the most engaging versions of Kamurochō and Kazuma Kiryu that I could, and this show has it all. While the games allow you to experience their world through the subjective lens, this adaptation will be the ultimately objective way to enjoy the show.
“I have no doubt that fans of the series will be drawn to the way it brings the games to life and adds new surprises. Newcomers, I’m sure, will find themselves simply overwhelmed by the stark realism of the show.
The series is the protagonist Takeuchi Ryoma (Kamen Rider) as the main character and Kiryu Kazuma.
Prime Video will release the series in two batches of three episodes on October 25 and November 1, with subtitled and dubbed versions in 30 languages.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
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